PRAYING WONDER-WORKING PRAYERS

Friday May 8, 2015

PRAYING WONDER-WORKING PRAYERS

Memorise:

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12

Read: John 11:41-44

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.  

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Message

When we sing the song "Prayer is the master key", I sometimes wonder whether we really understand what we are singing about. For some people, prayer is a religious routine, but there is a type of prayer that has wonder-working powers. Our Lord Jesus Christ set a good example of this type of prayer in our Bible reading today. Let us look at His prayer in detail to better understand how to engage in prayers that produce wonders.

When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, the first thing He did was to give thanks to His Father for two wonderful reasons: that the Father had heard Him, even before praying, and that the Father always hears Him! Moreover, Jesus Christ did not pray the "gentleman's prayer" that is common in many so-called elitist Christian organisations. The Bible in John 11:43 says:

"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth."

I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God that the intensity of your prayer will tell God how urgently you want your miracle. Whether you believe it or not, God will listen to the one who cries aloud to Him for help before He listens to those who whisper their requests. If you don't believe me, ask blind Bartimaeus. Among all those following Jesus on His way out of Jericho, only the one who cried out got his need met (Mark 10:47-52).

Also, in the prayer of our Lord at the tomb of Lazarus, we can see Him expressing His faith in what His Father is capable of doing. We can also perceive the cordial relationship between the Son and the Father in this prayer. This relationship gave the Son the confidence to ask the Father what He knew would glorify the Father. Jesus would not ask for anything that did not bring glory to His Father. Many times, we pray and receive no answer. Some might think that God is on holiday at such times; not at all. The Bible gives us one reason why we do not receive answers to our prayers in James 4:3:

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

Another reason is that a life of sin robs us of the confidence we need to ask God in faith. Beloved, how is your relationship with the Almighty God? Remember, your prayer can work wonders today.

Prayer Point:

Father, grant me the grace to maintain a cordial relationship with You, so that my prayers to You may continue to produce wonders to the glory of Your Name.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE inspired by THE HOLY SPIRIT

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

THURSDAY 7th MAY 2015

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Memorise:

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

Read: Luke 1:30-35

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Message

God attaches great significance to names. It is unfortunate that many people don’t pay attention to the importance of the names they bear or the names they give to their children. Africans, like the Jews, consider the meaning of a name before they give it to their children or to someone else.

The Name that the Almighty God chose to give to His only begotten Son is very significant. It is a wonder-working Name. In Matthew 1:21, we are told the reason why the miracle child Mary would give birth to should bear the Name Jesus:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Salvation from sin is the greatest wonder in the history of mankind because the Bible expressly declares sin as a plague affecting all men. Romans 3:23 says that:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

The Name Jesus therefore proclaims to the world thus: “Behold the Man who came to achieve the greatest wonder the world needs.”

This is where practitioners of some other religions get confused. They wonder how the Name of one Man can save another man; not to talk of the claim that this same Name can save all who believe in it. They wonder silently and loudly; they try to rationalise the workability of this declaration which God Almighty Himself made concerning His only begotten Son. Beloved, I encourage you not to bother about how it works.

Evidence abounds as to how on the merit of this Name, souls have received and are receiving the forgiveness of sin. Not only that, the positive transformation that occurs in those who believe in this Name is indisputable proof of the wonders the Name of Jesus performs from generation to generation. 

One of my sons testified that when he believed in the Name of Jesus, not only was he forgiven, he was also miraculous transformed. He experienced the disappearance of curses and abusive words from his vocabulary. He testified that “The curse words could just not come out anymore even when I tried”. To have this same experience, I encourage you to surrender your life totally to Him today. You need to identify with the Owner of this Name before it can work for you. God bless you as you do so today in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:

Make sure you know and belong to the Owner of the Name, JESUS. By this, you will experience transformational wonders, not only in your spiritual life but also in your family and business.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 10:11 and MARK 5:1-20

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

POWER IN THE SPOKEN WORD

WEDNESDAY 6th MAY 2015

POWER IN THE SPOKEN WORD 

Memorise:

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Matthew 8:8

Read: Matthew 8:8-13

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Message

There is power in the spoken Word of God, and this power produces unspeakable wonders. In fact, the entire universe was formed by the spoken Word of God (2nd Peter 3:5). Hence, we must give more earnest heed to the spoken Word of God emanating from genuine men of God. 

Many people have missed their miracles because they mistook the Word of God for the words of a pastor. They fail to realise that God will not come down to speak His word, but He speaks through His genuine servants. The onus is now on whoever wants God’s Word to perform wonders in his or her life to identify genuine ministers of God through whom God speaks. The Bible in 2nd Chronicles 20:20b says:

“Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

How then do you identify a word as being genuinely spoken by God through His servants? The written word, which is the Bible, authenticates and must align with the spoken word (John 16:13, Galatians 1:8). After you have ascertained that the source of a spoken word is clean, and that the word is directly from God, it is your responsibility to believe it. Only then will you receive the miracle you so much desire from God, as it is written in Psalm 107:20:

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Without controversy, there is power in the word of God as spoken by His genuine ministers. However, this power can have a positive or negative effect. 

We must therefore comport ourselves with wisdom so that the spoken word does not affect us negatively. The spoken word of God which came to the widow of Zarephath through Elijah in 1st Kings 17:14 is a case in point; it says:

“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”

We see the power in this spoken word, working positively in 1st King 17:16:

“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

Elijah also spoke concerning the shameful death of the wicked King Ahab in 1st King 21:19 and the wonder-working power of the spoken word produced the negative effect of Ahab’s death in 1st Kings 22:38. 

Prayer Point:

Father, grant me grace to live my life in such a way that it will attract the positive wonders of Your spoken Word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 8-9 and MARK 4:21-41

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

TRANSFORMED BY THE NEW CREATION

TUESDAY 5th MAY 2015

TRANSFORMED BY THE NEW CREATION

Memorise:

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1st Corinthians 6:11

Read: Luke 8:1-3

1 AND it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Message:

One of the most profound wonders you will find anywhere in the world is the wonder of a transformed life. When a person who was demon-possessed suddenly becomes a vessel unto honour, what wonder can be greater than this? Such a person remains a wonder throughout his or her lifetime. This was the testimony of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2). It is wonderful for a demoniac to become a financial backer of God’s kingdom. Another example of a transformed life that become a wonder is the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:28-30). From being a promiscuous person, she became a lady evangelist. The Bible in John 4:39 says this about her impact:

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.”

Apostle Paul in today’s memory verse, after listing the evil characteristics of the old creation, testified to the transforming wonder of the new creation experience as seen in some members of the Church of Corinth. After I received the grace of God for the salvation of my soul, and I became a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a woman came to the church with her child who had a problem that only a miracle could solve. She requested to see the pastor and to her surprise, it was her ex-boyfriend! On discovering that I was the pastor who would pray for the healing of her child, she said, “You? It cannot be!” However, I told her that what she was seeing was nothing but the transforming wonder of the new creation. I told her of how God saved me, and that the same God could save her also. She believed me, I prayed a simple prayer of faith, and the child got healed. This is the transforming wonder of the new creation. Have you experienced this wonder? If not, today is the day of salvation for you. The Bible in 2nd Corinthians 6:2 says:

“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

Let today be the day you experience the transforming wonder of the new creation, and all things, including your worn-out hope, will be renewed.

Action Point:

Take a bold step of faith by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour indeed, and you will experience the transforming wonders of the new creation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 5:7 and MARK 3:31-4:20

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE MIND OF JESUS

MONDAY 4th MAY 2015

THE MIND OF JESUS

Memorise:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5.

Read: Mathew 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Message:

The Lord Jesus Christ invites us into His rest in today's Bible text. However, before we can obtain His rest, we must have the same mind as His. To have the same mind as Jesus, we must learn of Him. 

Many would-be Christians fail to realise that what makes Christ unique is not His complexion or stature, but the life that He lived while on the earth-a sanctified life of love, compassion, holiness and perfect obedience to His Father. He said in John 17:19 that: "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." This statement reveals His mind, and the guiding principle of His lifestyle.

Some people desire to know God without first knowing about Him. How can one have the mind of Jesus and get to know Him without first learning about Him? Jesus in John 7:17 says, "if any man will do his will, he shall know the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.' 

We are called to learn of Jesus Christ. We should allow Him to teach us through His human agents under the guidance of the Holy Ghost. This is why Bible study services and Sunday School classes are very necessary. Daily study of God's word in devotionals like this will enhance your knowledge of Jesus Christ in order to know and have His mind.

What then is the mind of Christ? The mind of Christ is the mind of humility ( Philippians 3:5-8). This is an all-encompassing Christian virtue that takes root from the very first day of your conversion. 

As a matter of fact, the acceptance of the gospel lays the foundation of humility, because you cannot accept that you are a sinner without a humble heart. The natural man tends to either rationalise his evil deeds or assume that sin is not so bad because "everyone is doing it". However, when the spirit of Christ comes upon an individual, He convicts him of his sins (John 16:8-11). 

This leads to repentance and sets the stage for the process that brings about the formation of the mind of Christ in that individual,even as he or she continues to learn of Christ. Learning of Christ entails imbibing His ideals, which many so-called brilliant theologians and churchmen think are no longer valid for the 21st century Church. 

My prayer for you is that any knowledge which will invalidate the ideals of Christ as contained in the Bible will not come your way in Jesus' Name. For you to find rest for your soul, you must have the mind of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer Point:

Father, give me the same mind You gave to Your son Jesus, and help me, in this evil and perverse generation, to live by the ideals He brought to this world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 2:27-4:22 and Mark 3:1-30

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE AGONY OF A BACKSLIDER

SUNDAY 3rd MAY 2015.

THE AGONY OF A BACKSLIDER.

Memorise: 

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5.

Read: Judges 16:18-21

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Message:

In today’s Bible reading, we see the agony of a backslider manifested in the loss of Samson’s eyes. To lose one’s physical, intellectual or spiritual vision is very agonising. Samson, a Nezarite of God from the womb. Broke the covenant of his calling first as an Israelite and then as a Nazarite. 

With reference to the inhabitants of the land of Canaan such as the Philistines, God in Deuteronomy 7:3 had thus commanded the children of Isreal:

“Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.”

Contrary to this instruction, Samson went to seek the hand of a Philistine woman in marriage. 

When his parents tried to guide him back to the right path, he in Judges 14:3 said:

“….. Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.”

“Also, concerning Nazarites such as Samson, God in Numbers 6:6 had thus commanded:

“All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.”

But the devil ensnared Samson with honey in the carcass of a dead lion he had killed. In the process of collecting honey to eat, he ended up defiling himself (Judges 14:8-9).

Many children of God are, like Samson, erring in the choice of a marriage partner. 

Some have been destroyed by their appetite, because they could not resist the devil when he asked them to turn stone to bread by sleeping with a personnel manager to secure a job. To such people, the end justifies the means, but the question is: can this temporary “respite” be worth the agony of backsliding? One lesson we must quickly learn is that, the moment a Christians begins to slide backward into his or her old way of life or into things that God frowns at, he or she loses the power of spiritual vision. Such a fellow begins to wallow in darkness of untold agony. 

After the last straw that broke the back of Samson’s spiritual camel was engaged, the Bible in Judges 16:20 says:

“…. And awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

Alas, the process of Samson’s downfall was complete and his eyes were put out. The worst thing that happened to Samson was that he died with his enemies; hence, he could not be considered a victor. My prayer for you is that you will not backslide in Jesus’ Name.  

Action Point:

Search your life to see if there are ways you have been backsliding unnoticed. Make amends and ask God to restore you back to your first love for Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-2:36 and Mark 2:13-28.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE.

FROM GRASS TO GRACE

SATURDAY 2nd MAY 2015

FROM GRASS TO GRACE 

Memorise:

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools. Proverbs 3:35

Read: Esther 8:15-17

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Message

When a man’s way pleases the Lord, He will make his enemies to be at peace with him. After this, God moves him from grass to grace. This was the experience of Mordecai in our Bible reading today. There is one condition which anyone who desires to move from grass to grace must fulfil: such a person must be wise. The Bible says the wise shall inherit glory (Proverbs 3;35). Who are the wise? The wise are those who fear the Lord rather than man. In Esther 3:1-2, we read of how a man was trying to play God by having all men bow before him. Contrary to his expectation, Mordecai would rather worship God than man, hence, Human hated him. Even as Haman planned the downfall of Mordecai, the Almighty God was arranging how this God-fearing man would move from grass to grace. It is wisdom to fear the One you know has the capability to promote or demote you. This was the wisdom that eluded King Nebuchadnezzar and he fell from grace to the level of eating grass (Daniel 4:30-33). Not until after he had learnt not only to reverence God but also to fear Him did he rise again. It is indeed true that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Jesus Christ taught His disciples this principle in Matthew 10:28, saying:

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Those who allow the fear of men to push them against the will of God are in danger of moving from grace to grass. When you learn to fear the Lord, He takes up any challenge that may be facing you, and beyond your wildest imagination, He will lift you up. Daniel was another person who feared the Lord, and God raised him from grass to grace. After being lifted from the den of lions unhurt, Daniel was promoted in the reign of Darius (Daniel 6:23-28). Nowadays, Christians hardly exhibit the type of fear that is expected of a servant to the master. God Himself demanded this type of fear from us who are His royal priests (1st Peter 2:9) in Malachi 1:6

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father , where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”

Beloved, if you want accelerated promotion that will move you from grass to grace, the secret lies in the fear of God.  

Prayer Point:

Father, please move me from grass to grace today and let the world see Your glory in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: RUTH 3-4 and MARK 1:29-2:12

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE